PRESS RELEASE
Kisumu, 18 March 2011
(To be released 25 March 2011)
Fisheries Administrators and regional organizations will come together on March 24-25 for the
3rd Regional ACP-Fish II Programme workshop at the Imperial Hotel in Kisumu, Kenya, from
24 to 25 March 2011. The objective of this Programme Monitoring Workshop is to review the
progress of project implementation to date and plan for future tasks for the Eastern Africa
Region.
ACP FISH II is a demand driven Programme financed under the 9th European Development Fund
aimed at strengthening fisheries management in ACP countries. The programme has been developed
to contribute to the sustainable and equitable management of the fisheries industry and by extension
will lead to poverty alleviation and improved food security in ACP states.
More than 3 million Euros have been allocated to implement 32 national and regional fisheries
projects in the Eastern Africa Region. Eleven projects will be completed by June 2011.
The Programme continues to follow a participatory approach through which ACP Caribbean countries
are involved in identifying, formulating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating projects.
The participants in the Programme Monitoring Workshop for Eastern Africa will be the Focal Points
from the 10 Fisheries Administrations involved in project implementation from Burundi, Djibouti,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Two Regional Facilitation
Bodies (RFBs), namely Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO), and Indian Ocean Tuna
Commission (IOTC), as well as a representative of Beach Management Units (BMUs).
The Workshop will be coordinated by ACP Fish II staff: the Regional Manager for Eastern Africa in
Kampala, Uganda, Mr. Koane Mindjimba, and the Fisheries Policy Expert at the Coordination Unit in
Brussels, Mr. John Purvis. The presence of Delegates from the European Union Delegation in Kenya
is highly expected
The media is being invited to the opening session which will take place at the the Imperial Hotel in
Kisumu at 9:00 am.???
Kenya, the host country is currently receiving support from the Programme either singly or
alongside other countries of the region through a number of projects for its fisheries sector
management and development including:
i. Support to preparation of a draft aquaculture policy;
ii. Regional training on co-management (targeting not only Kenya, but also Burundi, Ethiopia,
Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda);
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iii. Strengthening implementation of IOTC Port State Measures Resolution (involving Eastern
and Southern Africa Members States);
iv. Regional training for Monitoring, Control and Surveillance on Lake Victoria; and
v. Action planning for improved regional fish trade for sustainable fisheries management
(targeting not only Kenya, but also Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic
Republic of Congo).
It should be noted that, aside from those outlined above, other projects involving Kenya are
implemented either through RFBs, fish processing and exporter associations or BMUs. In addition,
other projects will be launched, most of which are regional in scope (targeting more than one country)
as far as Kenya is concerned.
Contacts for supplying more info
ACP Fish II Programme Regional Manager for Eastern Africa: Mr. Koane Mindjimba – E-mail:
K.Mindjimba@acpfish2-eu.org
Workshop Organiser
 Contractor: Italtrend, Italy – E-mail: Carla.Campanini@italtrend.it
 Local Partner: Private Safaris, Kenya – E-mail: ruth.chege@privatesafaris.co.ke
ACP Fish II Programme website: http://www.acpfish2-eu.org
Project Funded by the European Union.
“The content of this publication are the sole responsibility of ACP Fish II Programme and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union”.
END
Background Information
Over the years, the European Commission (EC) has developed strong political and economic
relationship with countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, collectively known as the ACP
Group, notably through the signing of the Cotonou Agreement in 2000. Considering its socioeconomic importance in many ACP countries, the fisheries sector has received continuous support
from the EC through the European Development Fund (EDF), both at national and regional levels.
EC-funded programmes and projects are designed and implemented in partnership with ACP States
concerned to develop their Fisheries Administrations’ planning and management capacities with a
view to enhancing food security and creating employment.
Objectives of the ACP Fish II Programme
ACP Fish II is one of such programmes financed by the EC under the 9th EDF, with an overall amount
of € 30 million, aiming at strengthening fisheries management in ACP countries. Its overall objective
is to contribute to the sustainable and equitable management of fisheries in ACP regions, thus leading
to poverty alleviation and improving food security in ACP countries. Its specific objective is to
strengthen fisheries sectoral policy development and implementation. The Programme operates
through the provision of technical assistance (TA) to fisheries stakeholders. It is implemented through
the Coordination Unit (CU) in Brussels and six Regional Facilitation Units (RFUs) across the ACP
States, and each RFU coordinates a number of countries within its area of jurisdiction. The RFU for
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Eastern Africa covers 10 countries, namely Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,
Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Programme started in June 2009 and will be
implemented throughout a period of 4.5 years, terminating in November 2013.
Programme Components
The Programme consists of 5 components:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Component 1 – Improved fisheries policy and management plans at regional and national
levels;
Component 2 – Reinforced control and enforcement capabilities;
Component 3 – Reinforced national and regional research strategies and initiatives;
Component 4 – Developed business supportive regulatory framework and private sector
investment; and
Component 5 – Increased knowledge-sharing on fisheries management and trade at regional
level.
Component 1, the cornerstone of the Programme as devising sound fisheries policies and management
plans, is critical in ensuring the sustainable utilisation of fishery resources and the development of
value-added activities in the fisheries sector. The other components will result from the adoption of
sound fisheries management instruments, primarily at national but also at regional level. In particular,
they will support and facilitate fisheries policies drafting and implementation processes, through the
development of adequate research strategies, the strengthening of monitoring, control and surveillance
(MCS) measures and enforcement capability.
Socio-economic Importance of Fisheries and its Developmental Constraints in Eastern Africa
Fisheries are important in most Eastern Africa countries due to their multiple roles, including:




Contribution to the creation of national wealth through export earnings, mainly to the
European market;
Employment creation at both small-scale and industrial levels;
Provision of incomes; and
Contribution to food security and poverty reduction.
Despite its socio-economic importance as outlined above, the sector within the region is confronted
with a range of developmental constraints such as:




Weak or ineffective institutional and legal framework;
Limited control and enforcement capabilities in terms of MCS of fishing activities,
enforcement systems, human and financial resources;
Weak scientific research strategies; and
Lack of reliable, relevant and timely information for fisheries management.
It is in this context that the ACP Fish II Programme is implemented with a view to helping the target
countries better manage their fishery resources so that the sector continues to play and enhance its
role, in an international environment marked by the mobilisation to fight against poverty and improve
food security.
Programme Implementation Strategy
Programme activities in the field are being implemented through two operational Programme
Estimates (PE1 and PE2). In line with the implementation strategy jointly approved by the EuropeAid
Cooperation Office (AIDCO) and the ACP Secretariat, PE1 will cover the period between
March 2010 and May 2011, and PE2 will cover the period between June 2011 and November 2012.
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Programme Regional Workshops
The 1st Regional Needs Assessment Workshop (RNASW) that took place in Kampala, Uganda, from
01 to 02 December 2009 was designed to identify broad areas for targeting the Programme support.
The 2nd Regional Action Plan Workshop was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 21 to 22 October
2010 at which the participants identified projects and agreed on the Regional Action Plan (RAP).
PRES RELEASE
Objectives of the Programme Monitoring Workshop
The Programme Monitoring Workshop for Eastern Africa will be held at the Imperial Hotel in
Kisumu, Kenya, from 24 to 25 March 2011. Its main objective is to review progress in project
implementation to date and plan for future tasks. More specifically, the Workshop aims to:
i.
ii.
Review the implementation status of projects funded under PE1;
Formulate and/or finalise Terms of Reference/plans for projects to be implemented under
PE2 and agree on implementation plan; and
iii. Learn lessons and share experiences in project implementation to date.
The Programme continues to follow a participatory approach through which ACP countries are
involved in identifying, formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating assignments. From the
Programme Management’s point of view, regional workshops are a good example of the participatory
and demand-driven approach adopted by ACP Fish II and it will be the basis for its success. All
countries in the Eastern Africa Region have worked together and with the Programme, to define needs
and priorities related to fisheries policies and management. The projects were proposed and further on
validated under working groups and regional workshops and all views were shared and taken into
consideration. The forthcoming Workshop is very important because many projects are now being
implemented and the duties in following them up are everybody’s task. The structure of the
Programme is based on the same participatory model: the Coordination Unit, in Brussels, in
coordination with the ACP Secretariat and the EC, launches and monitors all ACP Fish II projects that
had been validated by the beneficiary countries; the Regional Facilitation Units, in collaboration with
the target Fisheries Administrations through the focal points they had appointed, monitor and
supervise project implementation in the field.
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